#i’m concerned with getting all of these characters right because its my JOB and just who i am but i do find myself really straining to do

[ducktracy]

What’s your favorite Patrick design?

my answer is unsurprising but i promise i’m answer if this with as much objectivity as i can, and answering as a fan of cartoons and what appeals to my sensibilities: BUT! his design in The Patrick Star Show.

i think it just brings such a great aesthetic balance and COMMUNICATES a lot about his character too! i think the inverted theming is clever with his shorts being opaque purple and his shirt green with flowers (as opposed to the green trunks and purple flowers). likewise, it makes me think back to his appearances in the earliest days—the same guy who asks SpongeBob if Sandy is putting on airs would absolutely wear a Hawaiian button up. it’s leisurely and loose, a bit “zany” even to match his endearingly off-color personality, but there’s a sort of prestige to it too! or, at least, as much prestige that can be found in a Hawaiian button up. and i feel like that prestige matches a guy who misinterprets “a hat full of air” as “putting on airs”. he looks like such a buddy, y’know? like someone who gives you that advice that you probably shouldn’t be listening to, but just has such a naturally warm conviction that its hard not to.

as for general art style.. it’s funny, i don’t have a major preference! i gravitate towards his earlier appearances in S1, but i do that with all characters… the show(s) in recent seasons have been really great at capturing a nice balance between some reserved cute charm and fun energy. i’m really not too picky because Patrick’s not too picky! i will say i do tend to gravitate to a style that has slightly bigger/taller eyes and a taller forehead… i tend not to be a fan of The Tooth, but especially when i was first starting out i could understand why it was such a crutch.

alternate, much shorter and more facetious answer: shout-out to the handful of you who remember when this was my profile pic back in early 2019!

[soursturniolo]

Hurtful Words • Nick Sturniolo

Synopsis: Nick and his boyfriend get into a fight the night before leaving for Boston. After some of the harsh words from Nick, his boyfriend is left hurt and uncertain of his place in his boyfriends life.

Pairing: Nick x male reader/character (no y/n but also no other name used, he/him pronouns)

Tags: angst, hurt, a bit of sunshine!reader x grumpy!nick, nick has a panic attack, comfort (happy ending because I guess I'm not 100% evil yet)

Nick had been extremely stressed all day. Nothing was going right, first he woke up late and missed his meeting. Then, he went to edit a video they had prefilmed to post while him, his brothers, and his boyfriend would be in Boston, just to discover the SD card was corrupted and nothing could be salvaged from it. Next, he developed a horrible headache as he was rushing to finish up packing for the flight tomorrow morning. Now, he was getting ready to film a replacement video with his brothers right as his cheerful boyfriend strode into his bedroom. Fuck , Nick thought to himself. He had forgotten his boyfriend was coming this early.

“Hey!” his boyfriend smiled as he made his way over to him, arms open for the usual hug they’d share. Most always, his boyfriends sunny disposition made him smile, but today it just made him irrationally angry.

“Hi,” Nick responds flatly, not meeting his partners eyes as he dodged the hug and affection being offered. If Nick had been looking up he would have seen the look of confusion and concern flash across the other man’s face as his arms lowered to the side upon seeing that Nick clearly didn’t want a hug.

The other man frowns as he takes in Nick’s disheveled appearance, hair sticking up from most likely stressful tugging, a clenched jaw and tense shoulders. Knowing Nick for almost a year now, he knows his boyfriend isn’t one to immediately talk out his feelings, so he doesn’t ask but quickly concludes it must have been quite a rough day for the brunette. Usually in these situations, they’ll cuddle and relax and watch some stupid TV show, so that’s what the man suggests. To which, Nick scoffs.

“I don’t have time to just lay around with you, I need to go do my job, I have so much shit I need to do before tomorrow,” Nick gripes, moving around to grab the camera and SD cards off his desk, stuffing them into a bag to take to the car where he’s sure his brothers are already waiting for him. In packing he’d lost track of time, looking at his phone to see its already 17 minutes past the time they said they’d meet in the garage.

His boyfriend nods in understanding, seeing the obvious stress practically pouring out of every pore of his boyfriend. He reaches out a hand, gently touching Nick’s arm, trying his best to sooth him.

“is there anything I can do to help?” he asks softly.

“Jesus Christ!” Nick exclaims, feeling overwhelmed by everything all at once, like his skin is on fire and every little thing makes his head pound even harder, yaking his arm away from the other man’s touch “yknow what actually, there is. Just leave me the fuck alone for two seconds!”

The man frowns slightly, taking a step back at Nick’s sudden outburst, wrapping his own arms around him, head cooking to the side minutely.

“we’ve been apart all day? I’m just trying to help, I’m sorry sweetheart,” he says softly, trying to give him a soft smile, which just makes Nick scoff and roll his eyes again. A deep frown paints his boyfriends face at the reaction, the man tightening his arms around himself, shoulders hunching in slightly.

“And you come in here all fucking smiles and hugs. you’re just happy all the fucking time. Just this fucking ray of sunshine. Some of us fucking aren’t. Maybe this just wasn’t a good idea.” Nick spits out, his words venom. Part of his brain is yelling at him to shut up seeing the hurt look spreading over his boyfriends face, but the angry voice overshadows that one, just wanting everyone to feel has horrible as he feels.

“What? What isn’t a good idea?” the man asks him, voice small, fearing the answer. Did Nick mean him coming to Boston along with his brothers to finally meet his parents? While he had been nervous about meeting his boyfriends parents at first, in the past few days he had become quite excited. Thinking of meeting his family, his family dog too. He had bought gifts for them all, even a chew toy for Trevor. Even today, the young man had found himself daydreaming at work, thinking of how well it all might go, imagining them all sitting around a table looking at photo albums and smiling as he learns more about the past of the man he so desperately wants a future with.

Nicks quick response has those hopes shattering, along with his heart.

“This. Us. I don’t know. I just need to fucking breathe. I’m leaving to film with Chris and Matt. Bye.” Nick half yells, voice strained as he stalks his way to the door, yanking it open and slamming it shut as he leaves, leaving a tearful man standing in the middle of the room wondering where it all went so wrong.

Nick was distracted the whole entire time they were filming, overcome with guilt and regret. He had been so harsh to his boyfriend, his number one supporter, next to his family of course. Flashes of the other man’s hurt face flicker in his mind, the timid and soft nature he had taken on as Nick raged at him, a shadow of the mans usually bright and bubbly demeanor. Even when he was short with him at first, instead of just leaving, his sweet boyfriend had still apologized and compassionately offered help. And what did Nick do to show his appreciation? Told him callously that maybe them dating had been a bad idea.

That wasn’t true in the slightest. They’d been together 7 months at this point, and it had been some of the happiest months of Nick’s life. He’d experienced a happiness that he never thought he’d get even remotely close to again, and this was how he repaid the man? Throwing his cheerful and sweet nature in his face as if it was something to be ashamed of? It made him sick to his stomach to recall how he’d behaved.

Noticing their brothers distraction, Matt and Chris suggested cutting the video short, under the guise of wanting to get on good nights sleep before their early flight home. The drive home was quick and quiet as Nick thought of all the ways he’d apologize to his sweet boyfriend who had a heart almost too good to be true.

The brothers quickly said goodnight and parted ways, Nick taking the stairs two at a time to get to his room so he could ask for the man’s forgiveness. Upon opening the door, he’s met with disappointment. He had left. Nick knew he shouldn’t be surprised though. As he pulls out his phone to call the man he knew he had hurt, a bag on his bed catches his eye, along with a note. He peaks in the bag, confused upon seeing four boxes wrapped in a plain purple wrapping paper, as he picks up the letter, recognizing the handwriting and feeling his heart clench painfully in his chest as he begins to read.

Nick,

I’m sorry, I never meant to upset you. I know I can be a lot, and I understand if it’s gotten too much to deal with. I was really looking forward to seeing Boston and meeting your family. But it’d be silly for me to tag along now, at this point. I had gotten some things for your parents, Justin, and Trevor. I was hoping you’d maybe give them to them for me?

Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back for my plane ticket if it’s too late to cancel it.

Thank you for the last 7 months, they meant the world to me. You did, too.

Nick feels tears gather in his eyes, beginning to stream down his face as he sits the letter down and quickly scrolls to his contact on his phone.

"please, pick up, pick up, pick up" he mutters, sniffling as he waits and hopes he'll answer. A shred of hope blooms upon hearing his call answered answer, the soft noise of a car engine in the back. Good, maybe his boyfriend hadn't made it home yet.

"baby?" Nick sniffles slightly, voice cracking. He hears the man on the other end of the line sniffle too, and he feels his heart crack a little more. he'd made his sweetheart cry.

"what do you need, nick?" the other man asks softly and tearfully.

"I need you. please turn around, I know you’re still in the car. I'm so sorry," Nick pleads.

"it's okay Nick," he sniffles, "just give those gifts to them, please?" he asks.

"no, I'm not," Nick cries, tears streaming down his face, one hand clutching his hair as the other clutches his phone against his ear, sagging against the wall and sliding down it into a heap on the floor, his chest feeling tighter and tighter.

"okay, I'll get them back from you when you guys get back home," he offers, which just makes Nick cry harder. He really fucked up this time.

"no, no you're supposed to give them to them, I want you to, I want you to turn around and come back here so I can tell you how fucking sorry I am and kiss you and watch a stupid movie with you and then we get up and we go to Boston tomorrow morning and you get to meet my family and see where I'm from and everything and they'll love you and your little gifts and your smile that can light up a room and they'll love you because I love you," he pleads over the phone, desolving into sobs on the phone.

the other man on the line tears up again at the sweet words and obvious remorse, and he wants to respond to them but Nick is spiraling in regret and sadness and he can hear that it's getting harder for him to breathe through his cries.

he turns the car around, beginning to take a shortcut back to the triplets house.

"Nick, I need you to breathe," the man says softly, hearing the loud cries through the speakers of his car.

"No, I'm not Nick, you never call me nick when we're alone, its always Nicky or sweetheart or babe," the brunette sobs, still feeling like his relationship is slipping through his fingers, and it's his own fault.

The man grips his steering wheel a little tighter, driving a little faster.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I just need you to breathe for me, in your nose and out your mouth real slow for me okay? you know that box breathing technique I showed matt a few months ago?" he softly asks Nick.

"Yeah," Nick sniffles, breathing still shaking and disordered.

"Good baby, I'm going to count and I want you to breathe with me okay? I'm almost there but I need you to breathe for me until I get there, okay?" He asks softly.

As he continues to drive, he counts off and listens as Nick breathes with him, slight sniffles still present as he tries to focus on getting his breathing regulated with the knowledge that his boyfriend is coming back.

Nick doesn't even register the sound of his boyfriends car turning off or the sound of him using his house key to get in. his head jerks up to look up from his spot on the floor to see his boyfriend standing in his doorway. He quickly moves from his position on the floor, getting up and launching himself into his boyfriends arms.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean a fucking word I said," he sobs, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend tightly and burrowing his head into his neck, his tears wetting the skin. His boyfriend holds him just as snuggly in his arms, rubbing a soothing hand over his back as the other hand cups the back of his head softly.

"I know, its alright," the man sooths, but the words have an opposite affect on Nick, as the brunette pulls back quickly as he shakes his head.

"It's not alright! I was mean because I had a bad day and my head fucking hurts, and I hurt you. You didn't deserve that. I love you, and I love your personality and how loving and happy you are. It isnt something I or anyone should throw in your face. I should have talked to you, I should have thanked you for wanting to help me. I'm so sorry, ill be better, I'll get better at talking to you and communicating and not just blowing up at you for no reason," Nick sniffles, roughly wiping away his own tears.

"Okay, I forgive you," the other man offers softly, as he gently pulls Nick's hands away from the rough rubbing of his face.

"No! You shouldn't just forgive me, why are you being so nice right now?" Nick objects, confused by his boyfriends behavior as more tears make their way down his face.

The other man smiles softly and sadly, guiding his boyfriend over to the bed and sitting, pulling Nick down to sit right next to him. He gently guides Nicks head to rest on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around the man in a comforting embrace that Nick easily allows himself to be pulled into, the closeness easing the pain and regret in his heart.

"Let me ask you a couple things, okay? Maybe that'll help you understand why I'm forgiving you?" he offers, carding his fingers though Nick's hair softly, as he feels Nick nod and whisper is consent into his shoulder.

"Do you genuinely regret how you treated me?" A quick and firm nod from Nick.

"Do you see how hurtful your misplaced irritation can be?" Another firm nod and squeeze from Nick's arms around him is felt.

"Do you genuinely plan on working on communicating with me and being better in the future so this doesn't happen again?" Another nod and squeeze.

"Do you still love me and want to be with me, and want me to come to Boston with you?" This receives the fastest nod and squeeze of all the questions, making the man smile and turn to press a soft kiss to Nick's head.

"See. You acknowledged and took ownership of what you did wrong, you plan to work on being better, and I know you're genuinely sorry and regret hurting me the way you did. I trust you, so I trust what you say and the fact that this will not happen again. We will deal better the next time," he explains softly to the man in his arms.

"Okay. I promise I'll do better, I love you," Nick hoarsely whispers against his shoulder, cuddling more into the other man's side.

"I know, I love you too," Nick smiles wobbly as he hears those words and feels another kiss pressed against his head. He leans up, softly pressing his lips against the man's jaw, then his cheek, then thr corner of his mouth, smiling when we feels the skin move under his lips into a matching smile. Then, Nick presses their lips together in a soft and gentle kiss, trying to convey all the love and warmth he feels for the man in his embrace. His own ray of sunshine.

author's note: hey! i hope yall enjoyed! if you have any nick requests feel free to send em my way! im slowly but surely getting back into writing and i really want to write more for nick :)

no tag list on this post because I'm getting ready to redo my old tag list since most either aren't active anymore or have new usernames

[dailyhatsune]

hi! not exactly a request but i do wanna ask, whats your process when you're rendering more paint like art? (if that makes sense, English isnt my first language so apologies hdskhsjdbd) i really love how you use the colors and im curious how you do it :0

i’ve been meaning to answer this one for a while so here’s how i painted miku in today’s post (put under the read more because yeah prepare for a long post

i’d also like to preface this by saying that i never follow a set way of doing things, so in terms of what my personal process is like, these are only broad strokes of what i do! sometimes i’ll combine or skip parts entirely, depending on how i feel. also, this is not a tutorial, just how i do things, so please don’t treat it like one :’D this will read like the ‘how to draw an owl’ picture if you do

first, like every artist, i sketch. more specifically, i’m getting an idea of what i want to paint later on. this could be how a scene is set up or in this case, how a character is posed. here i’m not concerned about details or getting everything perfectly, i’m only planning how the thing will be composed. maybe a lot of canvas size changing, or adjusting what miku’s doing (note how busted miku’s right hand looks from all the transforming!) however, i still have to be concerned with how clear the sketch will be to future me, because the sketch won’t be any good if i can’t read what miku’s doing

after that, i lay down a flat gray under the sketch, mainly focusing on giving miku a clear silhouette. this is also a good time to make adjustments to the composition on the fly if i suddenly feel like something can be improved upon, like shortening miku’s left arm from the sketch!

after painting a flat silhouette, i start shading in grayscale, focusing only on lighting. i usually do it in two passes, one for the lightest and darkest tones i’ll use (not black and white) and then a second for midtones to blend them better with the base gray but i forgot to screenshot the result of the first pass 🗿 nevertheless, here is where i can start adding some amount of details. i’m not including any extra accessories yet, just focusing on the base design of the outfit and the character herself (for anyone wanting to draw characters from That Gacha Game, this is how i personally make the process more bearable for myself.) i still use the dark gray to separate where certain details (like the facial features and fingers) begin and end, mainly to make colouring more bearable later.

now here’s where i get the Good Colours. it’s a cheat lol. i put a gradient map layer over the grayscale painting so that there’s a little bit of color to start. some gradient maps can be applied as is, some need the layer settings adjusted to make it look good. this one, for example, is a (free) gradient map set from the csp assets store that needs you to set the layer opacity to 20% and to set the blending mode to color to achieve this result. in general, i tend to pick which gradient map i want to use based on vibes, or basically whether i want the work to be warmer or cooler, colour-wise. but this does do quite a bit of lifting for the colors in my stuff.

and then, finally, i add the colours. i add flat base colours in an overlay layer. at this stage, i’ve made the character silhouette clear enough that i don’t need to refer to the sketch anymore for what miku looks like. also, the gradient map layer does its magic by making the shading a bit more vibrant than it would’ve been without it. after that i paint over with a new layer to add details like the lace.

and then i put some extra shading on top. basically this is where the ‘better lighting’ happens. again, this isn’t a tutorial, so i’m not here to say what each part of the lighting is, but i’ve labeled which layers do which job. in other works where the lighting within a scene is more defined (from a window, from a small crack in the walls, etc) the glow dodge layer may be more opaque and sharper, but since this isn’t a work with that, the lighting was applied using an airbrush. the linear burn layer is also there to make the whole thing darker so the glow dodge doesn’t end up oversaturating miku. i also usually match the lights to the vibe i want, and use a complementary color for the shadows. so here you can see i have warm colors on the glow dodge layer, but light purple on both the linear burn and multiply layer.

and that’s it for the character—here’s a gif showing how each layer adds to miku! (sorry it’s so toasty)

as for the background, depending on the complexity, it may go through a similar process, or if i can settle with flat image backgrounds, i just go for that. it’s ok to use external image materials. i didn’t have a background in mind for this miku in specific, so i got some default csp materials and threw together something

and that’s about a rough overview of what my process for more finished works looks like! again, art is a fluid process so i never specifically stick to certain steps all the time, and you shouldn’t either. i can probably answer why i’d pick this colour over another in one particular work, but it’s something that kinda has to be learned on a grander scale. i think everyone can already feel what colors work with what atmosphere or what setting, even if they can’t immediately explain why. colors and composition do take some level of experimentation to find what works best!

[princessbrunette]

Stepbro!Rafe is too hot to handle, idk out of all characters the trope suits him so well 🥵 I love your stepbro!Rafe headcanons because you just know he’d be so possessive and never let another man touch his step sis. Him with a sweet naive step sis would be so hot!! Like he makes it his business to make sure every man in Kildare is afraid of him so they never even dare approach his step sis. That leaves her never having gone on a date or even having been kissed so she innocently and naively pours her heart out to Rafe on night all vulnerable and lonely and sad thinking there’s something wrong and off putting about her because no boy has ever asked her out when all her friends are gossiping about their active dating lives and sharing intimate details of their sex lives whilst she’s feeling left out because she’s never had close to any of that. Little does she know Rafe threatens every man he sees even talking to her. So she innocently asks him stuff like “I wonder what I feels like to get eaten out” and he coaxes her into letting him do that to her because he’s just being a “helpful step brother”. And another night she’s curious about how to give a guy a blow job because she wants to be prepare for when she gets a boyfriend (foolishly thinking Rafe would let any man but himself touch her in that way) so he’s more than happy to teach her how to. And begins frequent night where she innocently wonders into room asking him to each her how to do things she hears her friends doing with their boyfriend like “Rafe, what does doggystyle mean 🥺?”, “Rafe did you know people have anal sex 😯?! Where men put their penises in inside the woman’s butt! I wonder what that would feel like???” Hmmmff step bro Rafe is a fave trope 🥵!!!

i love this a lot because there’d be so much manipulation involved and… idk when it’s rafe its hot 🙏🏼

“girls really… do this kind of thing? i don’t know rafe, it seems a little gross to m—”

“look, i just don’t want you to embarrass yourself, a’ight? you’re my little step sister… wouldn’t wanna have to beat some guys ass because he got mad you don’t know how to suck him off properly… right? y’know i’m just tryna take care of you.”

also, bonus points if reader starts to catch on. i mean you’re not an idiot, after the first few ‘lessons’, seeing how much rafes enjoying himself you start to realise it’s mostly for selfish gain. but… you turns a blind eye to it because as much as you know it’s wrong, you like it too. he makes you feel good.

you’ll come slinking into his room with your most innocent face on, pawing at him, so helpless and sweet, talking about “apparently… you can grind on a guys thigh and it feels really good… heard the girls talkin’ about it and i felt left out ‘cos i’ve never done it before…” your hand playing with the north face fleece he wore. he stares down at you knowingly, fighting away the urge to smirk.

“y’think i’m dumb or something?” he rasps after a minute and your eyes widen.

“huh?”

“you come in here… actin’ all sweet cos’ you wanna get felt up by your big bro again, ain’t that right?” the way he words it makes you recoil, shoulders practically at your ears as you rapidly shake your head. “yeah… yeah you want a freebie. i know your game.” he begins to back you against the wall, and you could cry from the humiliation.

“s’not true rafe, i just wanna learn!”

“bullshit. what happened to you, hm? i think… i think i’ve turned you into a slut.” he mocks concern, tilting his head with wide worried eyes. your bottom lip juts out just like he thought it would, shaking your head still in denial.

“no…” it comes out small.

“uh-huh. and you know what happens to sluts?” he closes in. “gotta be punished. i can’t have you turnin’ out like that… running around town trying to get yours. i gotta nip it in the bud, yeah? m’a proactive person, you know that— a good big brother, i gotta teach you a lesson.” he’s dragging you over to the bed, manhandling you to bend over his lap.

you must’ve caught him on the wrong night.

[grayintogreen]

OKAY HERE WE GO LET’S TALK.

- there was nothing I disliked?? Like sure it had its flaws as all big budget spectacles do but the only glaringly obvious flaw would be if you liked Adam Warlock, which I do not. That fucking gold himbo twink was fucking hilarious.

- ROCKET’S BACKSTORY WAS SOMEHOW WORSE THAN I IMAGINED??? I played him for like six years on DWRP and had tons of headcanons, do you know how HARD it is for canon to be more heartbreaking than my brain??

- I’m so glad my animal abuse squick does not apply to CGI animals. If your animal abuse squick does apply to CGI, you will have a BAD TIME.

- The Rocket content in this movie was off the chain considering he spent half of it in a coma.

- I am always a slut for “your favorite character is the most important thing in the world to a villain and he’ll stop at nothing to get him.” So, uh, good job Gunn!!! You read me for filth pal.

- Love how “I’m lobotomizing my blorbo because no one else is doing it” in LitMoR reflected real life. Let’s lobotomize all my favorite characters.

- BABY ROCKET WAS SO FUCKING CUTE. MUMBLING HIS WAY THROUGH TECHNOBABBLE. I ALMOST DIED. Just all the baby Rocket. He is a sweet little angel.

- how the fuck did you give that raccoon a Philly accent my dude.

- High Evolutionary going down as one of my favorite marvel bad guys because of being OTT and so unhinged his own people were like dude chill.

- “you’re unreasonably obsessed with that animal.” BITCH ME TOO.

- I assume Rocket’s crying fit after Lylla got shot was Bradley Cooper and if so he and Spike Spencer need to go sit in a room and think about what they’ve done to my heart. People doing gut wrenching sobs with only their voice gut me.

- A member of the audience SCREAMED when Lylla got shot. That sums it up.

- love that Rocket ripped that guy’s face off. Love that he didn’t blow his head off. You left him to die!! You could’ve finished him off!!

-PHYLLA-VEL????

- COSMO WAS BEST GIRL. Her being so mad and distressed that Kraglin called her a bad dog was the best running gag.

- we got the first onscreen appearance of Rocket introducing himself as “Rocket Raccoon.” Bless his heart.

- When Rocket almost died and Lylla sent him back, my sister turned to me sobbing and said she hated me for making her like these movies and me through tears said “yeah I know.”

-We have not ruled out Asexual Rocket which was the only headcanon I wanted to keep and Lylla was RIGHT THERE. So I was concerned.

- I love how mean 2014 Gamora is. She’s the best.

- I don’t have a lot of thoughts that aren’t about Rocket, guys. If you want more thoughts, go to the person who isn’t obsessed with a raccoon.

[ottoslab]

not to be extremely predictable abt the characters i ask abt but do you imagine any of the p7 are still around during or right before the future au? i know they are. Old. but i always am fond of the concept of like the old folks helping out at the camp after pn2.

Im always so very tossed up about how and If the p7 are still around during the aac timeline . But for the sake of “it would be funny if,” I will simply say they Are. (And ramble more about the thoughts ive had about a couple that might Not be and Why under a cut bc its kind of depressing)

Otto will never die and will never leave the Motherlobe much to Hollis and Truman’s dismay. The older he gets the more powerful he gets. He continues to contribute, arguably with increasing efficiency, but as each year passes he gets less and less concerned about getting caught doing things outside of the parameters of Psychonauts rules. “What are you gonna do? Fire me? Lmao” *goes back to working on his death beam that he just made because it was funny.*

I have this hc that at some point Sam makes it her mission to renovate the Lumberstack Diner as the Questionable Area? becomes more profitable over the years. And i think Compton working as a cook there would be a nice little job for him to have while in retirement. Cooking is like the one type of stress he can handle i think. Hes so so scared but in the comfort of something familiar so its less likely to cause him to start blowing things up.

Bob and Helmut deserve a nice little retirement home and I think theyre the primary residents of the Gulch (next to maybe Cassie and Compton?) They supervise (re: sometimes run into and chat with) Raz and his team who have basically taken up their own residence in the Gulch. Perks of being teammates with agent Aquato and Zanotto is that you dont have to resort to dormitories.

I’m not sure what’s up with Cassie! I don’t think she’s doing much either, probably also sticking around the Gulch. Though i think through the support of the others she at least gets Slightly more involved with the Psychonauts or going out into towns to do book signings so that she doesn’t become a complete and total recluse again.

I think Ford and Lucy are out traveling a lot while they’ve still got the time to. Making up for a whole lotta lost time n all that, giving each other time to talk and jazz. They’re not around a lot but they visit often!

Ok. And a very specific less sweet outcome for Ford and Lucy under the cut

When i run through which characters it would be like. Narratively “Best” to have passed away around the AAC timeline, my mind always immediately jumps to these two. Like obviously I think some characters would be more likely to have died before them (looking at you my friend Bob) or ones that could be more impactful in other directions (Cassie and Compton having to learn to exist without one another) but considering their last narrative experiences in Pn2 was finding each other again for the first time in years, it feels like any of those four (Bob, Helmut, Cassie, Compton) passing away would just be a disservice to prior storytelling. And Otto will never die, as I’ve said, so don’t even worry about him <3

I just think a lot about a story in which Ford and Lucy pass on before Raz can ever really reconcile any of his issues he had with either of them. A story in which he’s happy to see them getting along and traveling together, but every time they leave he holds his breath and counts down the days until they make it back and he can guarantee they’re still alive and he goes “This time, this time I’ll say something,” and then he doesn’t because how do you even bring up that conversation after all this time.

And then eventually they pass and it’s almost poetic, really, going at around the same time. But he never got to say anything to them, never got to reconcile and barely got a goodbye. And now he has to learn how to deal with that. How to deal with the fact that they’re still everywhere, in True Psychic Tales issues, on murals, on old pictures, inherently buried in the history of the psychonauts.

And i dont know. I think it’s an interesting story to explore. In a hypothetical real Psychonauts future story, you enter the story with some characters trying to question Raz about something theyre worried about that he always cuts off or dodges before you get to hear, but the lack of any mention of Ford or Lucy is so absent that it’s palpable. Stuff like that.

[beastyboyxx]

“More Than That.” ★★★

Warnings: Dialogue Heavy, Romance, MLM, Mild Angst, Small Argument, Blow Job, Aggressive, Reader Referred To As “Boy/Kid”, Nipple play, Wall Pinning, Aggressive Sex, Smut, Drinking But Not Drunk, Oral Sex, Anal Sex.

Characters: Saul Bright

Category: One-Shot (LONG)

Series: Cyberpunk 2077

Word Count: 2145

“Quick, get inside!” I held the door open with my left arm while my other waved in the wind. My eyes were partly shut. I couldn’t see a damn thing from the gusting sand.

“Gah— damn this storm.” Saul shouted back. The bigger man rolling into the abandoned building with no intention to stop until he was shielded.

Once Saul was in I followed right behind. Slamming the door shut in the process. Immediately the loud wind calmed to just a muted breeze that whisked against the small building.

Both my hands were resting on my knees. Catching my breath from the small prison break that took place just a couple of minutes ago. “Wow…” I turned my head up to face Saul.

“Haven’t done that in a while…” I laugh a bit to myself. Saul groaned, quickly facing me. I was in for it now…

“What were you thinking!?” Saul stormed up just a couple of inches from me. “Do you wish to get yourself killed? Huh! Is that it?!”

“Saul no… look. I was just trying to—“

“Shut it down. I’ve seen enough.” Saul turned his back. Rubbing his eyes with just his fingers.

“Why are you so upset that I just saved your life! I mean… are you kidding me?” I scoffed. My hand already at his shoulder as I pulled him to face me.

“Because you could’ve died! Is that so hard to understand.” His finger pushed on my chest. I glared further wanting to rip his whole arm off.

“And so could’ve you! Fuck. I can’t do anything for you without you being up my ass the whole time.”

I couldn’t believe it. Obviously pissed I lent my back on the nearest wall. Arms crossed with an angry expression to go.

“Not even a thank you?” I managed to pipe out. This whole situation was enough stress already. Saul being the stern ass he was wasn’t helping neither.

Saul plopped himself down onto the couch that was shoved up against the wall in the open living room, just next to the kitchen. The whole building was dark and it was starting to get cold.

Saul rubbed his face. Grumbling some curse before turning his head towards me. His eyes piercing straight through.

“You wanna know exactly why I’m so upset?” He began. His voice a pitch lower from its usual.

“What? Is it because “you are family” right?” I shake my head. An annoying laugh escaping my lips before I could even stop it.

“Saul I know we have that code. But for fucks sakes can’t you just let it off this one time?”

“Listen to me.” Saul stood up. Quickly. His fists clenched and his glare fixated on me. “You. Are more than that.”

“What—“

“Since the first day you rolled into camp. I knew you’d be an Aldecaldo. And I took you under my wing. Trained you.” Saul began to pace around the room. His voice calming as he went on about his experiences with me.

“You were a tough kid. Strong willed. Didn’t let any rainy day keep you from taking on the job.” Saul stopped. Pausing, as he gathered his thoughts.

“I admired you for that. It kept me goin’ myself when it got rough for the clan.”

“What are you poking at? Just tell me already.” I push myself off the wall. Concern washed over my anger as I stepped closer to my leader.

“…I.” Saul sighed while turning towards me. His eyes never wavering. The man stared, deep in thought. “I fell in love with you.”

My eyes widened at the few words “Saul…”

“I tried to forget it. Push it away. Hide it until I lost all feelings for you.” Saul rubbed his beard. Turning his head down to some bottles that lay across the floor. Wishing he could crack open a cold one to sooth his heart.

“Every day, it only grew. So you listen to me. When you run off like a teen, risking your skin for my own. It only pisses me off.”

“Because you love me…”

“Because I love you.”

My mind raced with thought. Saul, the stern leader of the Aldecaldos. In love with some nomad who never listens to anyone or anything. The dynamic was ironic.

“You’re such a stubborn kid. Always have been.”

I peeked at Saul. Not knowing what to say. My heart was beating out of my ears. Turning my attention to the wall I crossed my arms over my chest. My back facing the nomad.

“Y’know I won’t stop being a pain in your ass right? Love or not.”

“No. I know you never will.” Saul chuckled. The floor beneath us creaked as he stepped closer.

Saul’s hands met my hips. His grip squeezed just a bit to let me know he was there. “I’d rather you be the thorn in my side than an actual thorn.”

I let out a laugh of my own. I had to admit, it was nice having Saul being gentle. Being nice. My skin began to tingle, his hands started to drop. Inching down my thighs before crawling back up to my hips, sides, then resting on my shoulders.

Saul sighed heavily. The injector meds beginning to wear off as the man grew tired. His beard itched against the skin of my neck as he planted soft kisses.

“What do you say.” Saul kissed, “Be by my side?”

“Who would say no to Saul Bright?”

“You.”

“Well this time I’m saying yes.” I titled my head back. Giving the two of us plenty of space to face another.

Saul turned me around. His rough hands on my hips as I now faced him. His eyes said everything, he wanted me and I wanted him.

“When I first showed up, bloody and bruised. You looked like jesus with my vision blurred.” I ran my hands down his chest. I’ve always watched him work out with the other members of the clan. Secretly watching while tuning up a car.

“Thought I’d finally make it to the pearly white gates.”

“I was convinced you’d be gone by morning. Tsk poor kid.”

“Here I am now. Here we are. In some stripped out building hiding from a storm.” My eyes wondered. The windows had tarp tapped onto them.

“C’mon, I see some bottles that have our names on ‘em.” Saul dragged me along to the couch. Sitting me down while he sat next to me. The couch dipped in a bit from our weight.

It was Saul’s nature to have a bottle in hand. With ease he cracked the bottle cap off against the table with the millions of times he’d done it before. The cold bottle was pressed against my chest. I took it from his hands.

“Not much of a drinker but the occasional bottle or two.” I take a swig. The mystery liquor stung my throat a bit. Meanwhile Saul took big gulps like a pro. The bottle popped from his lips and he exhaled happily.

“God it’s freezing in here.” I pull on my sleeves trying to formulate as much warmth I could gather.

“There’s a heater just there. Maybe we can get it running. Or… we try other means to get warmed up.”

“Meaning…?”

The bottle clanked against the table as Saul set it down. He adjusted his weight on the couch, rubbing his legs. I watched him carefully, putting the bottle down near his.

“I want to fuck you.”

It was like a shock. The electric sensation rolled up my core. Those words lingering in my mind repeating over and over and that familiar heat I felt when watching him work at camp rolled through my body.

“You… what.” I huffed out a laugh. “Someone’s straight forward. I mean we can—“

Saul said nothing. His hands were on me in a blink as I was pressed down onto the couch with his hand at my chest. Saul grabbed both my legs, pulling me into him, making me lay further onto the couch.

I couldn’t get one word in. His lips latched onto mine while his hands wrapped around my belt until my jeans were tugged off. His beard lightly scratched my skin as the Nomad continued his lustful kisses. His hands were everywhere. My thighs, squeezing them roughly. Then up to my chest, needing at the skin.

Fuck it felt amazing. The aggression I know so well from Saul now used for a different purpose.

“Let’s get to the fun bit huh?” Saul peered up at me while he pulled down my boxers. I hissed from the sudden cold breeze.

“Saul… what are you— Ahh! Jesus Christ!” My hand shot down to Saul’s head. A fist full of his hair as I tugged in response.

Saul had his lips wrapped around my cock. His tongue swirling circles around the head of it. Gasping I rolled my head back and bit onto my hand. The warm and wet feeling of his mouth running up and down my length made my legs tense and spine shiver.

“Jeez have you— nngh- done this before..?” My mouth hung open gasps and moans slurring out as I locked my eyes on the sight of Saul’s head raising and falling.

He mumbled in reply. The vibration of his voice made me recoil back. Earning a loud groan in return.

Just like the bottle he popped his mouth from the head. I choked out a whine, missing the feeling already.

“Shhh, you’ll get something much bigger to make that pretty voice of yours sing for me.” Saul lowered his hands to his belt, sliding it off and tossing it across the room. His hands lifting the shirt that covered my chest. Now bare and in sight for any gaze.

I followed, pulling off both my boxers and jeans completely. They fell off the couch. Saul stood up from the couch. Unzipping his jeans and kicking them off. His boxers dropped as he kicked them off too. He was… big.

Saul got back onto the couch. Positioning himself between my legs. The Nomad grabbing hold of my ankles. A long string of saliva dripped down from Saul’s lips as man-made lube, quite literally.

“Put me in my place, yeah?”

“Be careful what you ask for boy.” Saul began to inch inside. Slowly until it got halfway. He slammed the rest inside granting a string of curses from me.

I gripped onto the couch. Mentally preparing for the overwhelming crashes that were soon to drown me. He was big, mainly in girth. Saul chuckled lowly at the sight of me, eyes fogged with lust and my mouth the shape of an O as whines fluttered out.

“Brace.”

Was the only warning. Immediately Saul was ramming into me like it was the last day he could fuck anything. My grip on the couch tightened. Gasping and moaning filled the room. Grunting, skin slapping, and curses flowed through the different rooms.

The couch rocked a bit in motion with the pounding. Saul’s hands leaving my ankles and dropping to dig into my hips as he ruthlessly continued. Saul bared his teeth. Clenched together as he groaned with his hair beginning to stick to his temple.

The rhythm lasted for a few minutes. Men moaning from the pleasure they had caused. It was such a good kind of sick.

“How ‘bout these huh? Cold too I bet.” Saul dipped down. His mouth hungrily began sucking and kissing my chest, tongue rolling circles around the sensitive nubs.

“Jesus Saul—!”

Saul pulled out. His cock glistened with my slick. God it was a sight. Saul was quick and aggressive as he used his strength to pick me up from the couch. It was all so sudden. One second on the couch then the next my back slammed onto the wall.

My legs were lifted, his rough callused hands gripping the underside of where the muscles bent. If some poor soul trying to shield themselves from the storm walked in on the sight of pure sin. It would look something like a poor boy being utterly manhandled by the great Aldecaldo king. Back pinned. Lefts lifted. And his full cock ruthlessly crashing waves of pleasure into the other man.

The night felt like it went on forever. Desperate cries and moans for more all ending in one final breath as the two released their fill. Saul gently walked back to the couch. Setting me down, Saul positioned us to cuddle.

Saul pressed a sweet kiss onto my forehead. “Well. You warm now?”

“Shut up Saul.” I groaned with a smile I couldn’t hide even if I tried. I think I could easily get used to this side of the great Aldecaldo king.

[cupidlovemail]

( genshin impact ) tighnari x reader

reader :: gender-neutral, trainee doctor

genre :: angst, fluff

word count :: 2.9k

warnings :: tighnari gets struck by lightning, severe injuries, burns, blood, scars, mentions of being unconscious

characters :: tighnari, dehya, lumine, collei

Living in the rainforest had its ups and downs. It was fascinating to get first-hand experience and witness all of the flora and fungi it had to offer, however it was also possible that something would go wrong and you would get a very stern lecture from your boss. As a trainee forest watcher specializing in medicinal herbs and remedies, excelling at your job was critical. If something went wrong it was up to you to ensure the safety of the group and keep the situation under control. That is why today, after accidentally spilling a bottle of medicine you had been working on into the river, Tighnari sat you down to discuss the problems you were having.

"Do you have to be so clumsy? What if someone's life was on the line and you dropped all of the available medicine?"

"I wouldn't! It was an accident, the ground was just softer than I thought it would be and-"

Tighnari's sigh interrupted you, causing you to look at your feet in shame. He was a great boss but sometimes you felt like he was harder on you than the others. If Collei accidentally leaves something in camp it's because she is swamped with work, if you do it it's because you're scatterbrained. If another forest ranger trips and drops their food rations it's because the vines were dense in that area, if you do it it's because you're clumsy. Even if you think you are improving Tighnari always manages to find something to nitpick about your performance.

"Well, I guess it'll have to be fine. The medicine didn't contain anything that isn't native to this area so it shouldn't pose any environmental concerns. Just don't do it again." He makes quick notes in his pocketbook, likely documenting everything you did wrong today.

"I'll do better next time!"

"You always say that."

"I really, really mean it this time!"

"You always say that, too. Look, being a doctor is a hard discipline. These negative traits are not going to help you, institutions in the city won't accept it. You can't spill things, you can't panic under pressure, you can't-"

"Do you not trust me, Tighnari?" You ask quietly, cutting him off mid-sentence. You had listened to this speech many times before and did not want to hear it to completion. "I have helped people, I haven't harmed anyone in the entire time I've been here! You make it sound like I can't do anything right!"

"I'm not saying you're useless, I'm just saying you have a long way to go before you can become a real doctor."

"But I am a real doctor! I'm helping people, I'm making my own medicine, and I'm learning so much by being in the forest!"

"You're going to need a lot more experience, but that's why you're here. The other forest watchers are learning too, you're not the only one who needs to improve before they can succeed."

"Sometimes it feels like you don't want me to succeed at all." You mumble, low enough that any normal human would not have been able to pick up on it. Upon noticing Tighnari's ear twitch, however, you sense you've made a mistake and he lets out a long sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry. Why don't you take tomorrow off? Come back feeling refreshed, we all deserve a break now and then."

You decide to take Tighnari up on his offer, slowly trudging back to your house in Gandharva Ville. This time you wait to grumble under your breath until you are a safe distance away from his ears that pick up everything you don't want them to. With your back turned you don't notice the way Tighnari watches you leave, his tail swishing behind him and a worried expression on his face.

You collapse onto your bed, not realizing how tired you really were after a long day of getting in trouble. It takes all of your willpower to unpack your medicine bag onto your desk and change out of your adventuring outfit before falling asleep as soon as you get under the covers.

You wake up at the crack of dawn out of habit, ready to head into the forest on patrol as usual. You yawn, noticing a note left on the nightstand beside your bed.

"I'm going to Pardis Dhyai for the day, I've left Collei in charge. If you need anything, ask her.

Don't forget you have the day off.

- Tighnari"

You have to reread the note twice in order to comprehend what it was actually saying. It was rare for Tighnari to suddenly leave on such short notice, he liked to create a schedule and stick to it so you imagined something urgent must have come up. This, however, was your excuse to fall back asleep without being bothered. If Tighnari was being so insistent that you get some rest, why not take him up on his kind offer? You quickly fall back asleep, excited to have the rest of the day to yourself.

The curtain on the front of your home was frantically pushed aside, a flustered and panting Dehya leaning against your door frame. The commotion caused your eyes to snap open and you sat up, rising instantly from the bed to meet her where she stood. Forest watcher training taught you to be quick on your feet in an emergency, something that was paying off now.

"You," She paused, gasping for air. "You need to come now."

"What happened? Who's hurt?" You ask, watching as Dehya hunched over to rest her hands on her knees. "Did you run here? Where were you?"

"Pardis Dhyai. It's Tighnari." As soon as his name left her lips you were already hurriedly shoving herbs and other medicinal materials into your knapsack. Trying to be gentle with them was out of the question, the mere thought that Tighnari might be in any sort of danger left you to throw all rationality out the window. Just as you swung one strap of the bag over your shoulder Dehya grabbed your wrist, pulling you behind her and insisting that there was no time to waste.

The two of you sprinted as fast as you could down the dirt path that led from Gandharva Ville to Pardis Dhyai, the dust gradually turning into heavy mud at your feet. Dark storm clouds billowed above your heads and the crackling of thunder grew louder the closer you got. Despite not being as athletic as Dehya due to your different lines of work, the anxiety welling up in your heart caused you to keep a steady pace with her the entire journey. When the large arch marking the entrance to the research facility finally came into view the hair on your arms was standing up due to the electric charge in the air. Leading you to the main building, Dehya stepped aside to catch her breath as you were greeted by a worried Lumine.

"You're here!" She exclaimed, motioning toward an injured Tighnari on the ground.

Rushing over, you instantly dropped to your knees beside him. His breathing was ragged and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. His hair was frizzier than you had ever seen it but his ears still flicked toward the sound of your footsteps.

"He was fighting the Fatui with Dehya when..." Lumine trails off behind you, sighing quietly. "Lightning."

"Oh, thank the Archons that you're conscious." You breathe out a sigh of relief, digging around in your bag. "Where was he struck? Did he walk here? Did someone carry him?"

"He walked, Dehya only helped steady him. Why?"

"I'm checking for broken bones, if he can walk his lower body should only be fractured at the worst." You run your hands along Tighnari's arms, feeling for anything out of place. Moving up his body, you take his face in your hands and slightly move his head back and forth to test his neck. "Does this hurt?"

He quickly averts his gaze and shakes his head. You pull both of his pant legs up to see blood already scabbing from his knees down, likely due to the impact of hitting the ground after the initial shock. Tighnari shook in pain slightly as you cleaned the numerous cuts along his legs and applied medicinal bandages to stop the bleeding before you began working on the rest of his injured form. Lumine watched silently from behind you and Dehya stood near the doorway, seemingly keeping her eye out for anything else that could go wrong.

You could feel Tighnari's eyes watching you as you worked, expert hands moving their way up his body to search for any imperfections that needed to be addressed. Your normal nervousness had completely faded away and you acted like a professional. If he didn't know better Tignari would have assumed you were a licensed doctor and not still in the middle of your training. Each time you glanced up to make sure he was still conscious he looked away, refusing to meet your gaze for even a second.

By the time you got to his chest you requested that he remove his top to ensure you were not leaving any part of him left untreated. As soon as he shrugged it off, however, you could not stop the gasp from escaping your mouth. Starting from his right shoulder was a large, burning lighting strike pattern carved into his skin. The top of his shoulder was the worst, his skin was charred and peeling heavily due to the friction from his shirt. The lines trailing onto his back and chest got less severe the further down they stretched, but they were still a horrid color and smelled of burnt flesh. Tighnari tipped his head backwards and screwed his eyes shut, giving you full access to begin applying the medicinal poultice to his burns.

Lumine had stepped out of the building at this point, whether it be from the smell of burning flesh or because she was unsure how to help was unclear. The storm began to settle, the sound of thunder fading into obscurity in the background. Dehya took Lumine's place, kneeling beside you and occasionally passing more sterilized gauze when the ones in your hand became too dirty to use. Tighnari squirmed each time you touched the medicine to his wounds and you almost felt bad for him. Between the reassurance that he was still alive and your rigorous training taking over you had no time to focus on how either of you was feeling, the anxiety in your chest had long since faded and your job was the only thing on your mind. You silently thanked yourself for pulling so many all-nighters in the Akademiya reading textbooks and taking practice quizzes. While nothing could come close to hands-on experience, being able to recall specific information just when you needed was proving to be very useful. Once the final dressing was applied to his chest, you wiped your hands on your pants and let out a long sigh.

"That should be okay, the bleeding has stopped and I've looked at every part of the burn I could see. I'll have to change the bandages later but for now... for now, he's okay."

"Do you think it would be alright for us to take him back to Gandharva Ville?" Dehya asked, standing up and stretching her arms above her head.

"I think so, as long as we're careful. I don't want him walking alone though, can you help me Dehya?"

"I'm injured, not dead. I can walk." Tighnari says, speaking up for the first time. He stubbornly rises to his feet, leaning against the wall to steady himself as he catches his breath.

"You could be dead." You say, frowning at him. "Dehya and I will help you."

Still not meeting your gaze, Tighnari latches himself solely onto Dehya as she wraps her arm around him to hold him upright. You pause, quickly packing any unused materials into your bag and safely discarding what you didn't need. With the sun almost peaking through the clouds now, it was hard to imagine that such a terrible storm had occurred just brief moments ago. Or had it been hours? You reach up to rub your eyes, feeling as if you were waking up from a long nap. Being focused for so long in such a tense situation drained much of your energy and the trip back to Gandharva Ville was long and arduous.

Tighnari lay in his bed with a light blanket pulled up to his chin. His ears were flattened against the pillow and his normally soft hair was sticking out in all different directions. His breathing, while still ragged and uneven, had calmed down significantly since being in Pardis Dhyai and he was less restless overall. You had stepped out of the room to fetch clean water in order to change his bandages that had already been soaked through with blood. As you re-entered, his head turned away and he began to stare blankly at the wall. Sinking into the chair next to his bed with a sigh, you reached forward to move his bangs out of his eyes.

"How are you feeling, Tighnari?"

"Fine." He says curtly, still making no effort to look your way.

In the entire time you had known him he had never been this cold toward you and, with less of a life-threatening situation on your hands, your emotions began to re-emerge. He constantly told you that you needed to practice more before becoming a real doctor. Your emotions got the better of you, you could be clumsy at the worst times, and it was not uncommon for you to panic when the situation was tense. All of these factors were unfitting for a doctor, he insisted, so you continued to train in Gandharva Ville. And now, just after the two of you had an argument, you were the one sitting beside him as he slowly healed from his burns. What made you think you had the right?

"Tighnari?" You ask quietly, waiting for a response that he never gives. You notice the way his ear flicks as you talk, your only indication to keep going. "I'm going to go to the Akademiya tomorrow. I'll see if they have any doctors available to come and help you recover."

"No!" His gaze finally snaps to yours, a pained expression on his face. "You're my doctor."

"That's exactly why I'm going to see if there's anyone better available-"

"You just saved my life, what makes you think you aren't a good doctor?" He fully turns to face you now, wincing when the right side of his body touches the bedding.

"W-well, I'm still nervous. I almost panicked when I saw you on the ground, I didn't know what to do. I-"

"But you didn't. You didn't panic. You did everything exactly like you were supposed to, I couldn't have done better myself." Words of praise were rare from Tighnari and it caught you off guard. This time you were the one to look away from him, suddenly feeling embarrassed due to the intense way he was staring at you. Shuffling your feet, Tighnari let out a sigh when you didn't answer and relaxed back onto the bed.

"Do you know why I was so hard on you?" He said after a few moments of silence, his voice unusually soft. "Because you have so much potential. If you keep working I have no doubt that you'll be one of the best doctors Sumeru has ever seen. And... I was being selfish. If you're a full-fledged doctor, you're going to have to leave Gandharva Ville someday. There are much better opportunities in the city, it would be a waste to not take your talents there."

"Tighnari..."

"Well, now you know. Can we get this over with, please?" He gestures towards the pile of bandages sitting in your lap, pulling the bed sheet down to reveal what little part of his chest wasn't covered in either scars or gauze.

"Tighnari, I wasn't planning on leaving Gandharva Ville." You say, causing him to stop moving. He balls up the blanket in his fists and you can see the flaky skin move against the dressing on his shoulder. At least his home smelt less like burnt flesh, you opened every window he had to ensure it didn't become suffocating.

"That wouldn't be smart." Is all he says, now staring directly at his hands. "You have no reason to stay here."

"I have you."

His cheeks flushed a visible shade of pink and his ears began to twitch before he brought his left hand up to his mouth, trying to cover his face. "You can't just say things like that."

"I mean it. I'm happy staying here for the rest of my life. I love being so close to the forest, and I love working with you." Your eyes meet and you hope that he can see the seriousness in your expression. You stare at each other in silence for a moment, Tighnari's face getting redder with each second that passes.

"If you wanted me dead you should have just left me on the floor at Pardis Dhyai." He joked, something he always turned to when conversations became too serious for his liking. You decided to let him get away with it this time, he was going to be bedridden for weeks to heal from his burns and you did not want to add any more stress to his situation.

"Don't worry, I'll stick around. I am your doctor after all."

[honourablejester]

A while back, you made a post about your thoughts with the potential of there being so many dead gods in the Astral Sea, and it really got me thinking.

What sort of person willingly ventures into corpses of dead gods, not just to pull out fragments of their divinity, but for *any* reason? The danger must be ludicrous, coming that close to the corpse of a literal divine, *especially* if there are still fragments of its own divinity remaining.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts or concepts to go along with that.

Do you mean like, character concepts? What sort of adventurers would knowingly take jobs to plunder the corpses of the divine?

That’s a question with a lot of potential answers to it. Every character would probably have their own rationale for their willingness, or desire. Defiance. ‘The fact that they’re dead to be looted proves they’re not that much bigger and better than us!’. Pragmatism. ‘A corpse is a corpse is a corpse. Let’s just do the job and be done’. Fascination. ‘Do you not see how incredible this is? We’re inside a dead divinity. Imagine what we could learn!’. Power. ‘This thing used to be a god. There has to be something in here that would give us a leg up out there!’. Desperation. ‘Look, man, I know it’s creepy as hell, but I need that fucking money.’ Determined obliviousness. ‘Look, I don’t care what this thing used to be, right now it’s just a weird rock in space, okay? Just keep your cool and get through this, all right?’. Thrill-seeking/Fame-seeking. ‘How many people have ever crept into the corpse of a dead god and made it back out alive? We’re gonna be the first, baby!’. Genuine lack of concern. ‘Eh, what’s the worst that could happen?’. Weird reverence. ‘We are touching a fragment of the divine! Partaking of it. Is that not wonderous?’.

There’s a lot of reasons, basically. Every character would decide how they’re going to react and reconcile themselves to what they’re doing. I don’t really have mechanical concepts here, I feel like this is more in the realm of personalities/ideals/beliefs/bonds.

It would be kinda cool and/or funny, though, to have a normal, completely bog-standard graverobber, as in guys who dig up dead humanoid bodies for a living, and then suddenly present them with a much bigger corpse. For reasons. You got hired for a job back on good old terra firma because your client heard of your sangfroid and pragmatism, then you’re abruptly shanghaied into space, and informed that this particular job involves a slightly different class of corpse. And then you can be like, listen. Listen. I’m not sure what you think goes on in my job. But there is a bit of a difference between digging up some coffins and knocking the odd zombie over the head, and whatever the blind bleeding hell you’ve got going on here. Okay?

Though granted, in that case, they’re not exactly willingly plundering the corpses of dead gods. At least not initially. But it would be funny and/or a pretty good boxed crook concept, though. Heh.

Any help at all?

[codename-mom]

The boiler breakdown

Summary: It's winter, the boiler in Hotch's appartment is down and there is no repairman available. Jack has to sleep with his father and as a sleep-talker, he has an interesting point of view on all the members of the BAU team

Characters: BAU team (Blake era) and Jack

Contents: this text is part of a self-challenge on the theme "It's cute but...". So, it's supposed to be funny and/or cute with a slice of bitterswitness. Hope you'll enjoy it!

TW: well, I think it's just fluff on this one. :)

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

“I'm cold!" moaned Jack, curled up in a ball under his comforter.

He gave his father, kneeling beside his bed, a pleading look, surely hoping that this would be enough to solve the problem that was plaguing him. Aaron stroked his hair tenderly, his heart aching to see his son shivering under his nose.

“I know, buddy, but the repairmen aren't available right now.”

The day before, the apartment's boiler had failed, leaving all its tenants at the mercy of winter's torments. Outside, the snowflakes were falling merrily on the sidewalks or crashing into the windows of homes. A time that the child would have loved under normal circumstances, if the temperature in the home hadn't dropped drastically during the previous night. Warm at school, he had spent the evening glued to his sire, sniffing loudly to remind him how cold it was. The BAU director, for his part, had taken advantage of his office hours to try to contact specialists, but had been offered appointments on unlikely dates, when he had only managed to reach someone.

“Why don’t you do the repairs?”

“Because I don't know how to do that, he confessed. I never learnt. It’s a very specific job. But I can bring you another blanket if you like.”

“No. It won't be enough," decreed the boy, tears welling up in his eyes.

Hotch couldn't decide whether he was really that cold, despite the thickness of his blanket, or whether he was just putting on an act to get his point across. He admitted that it wasn't exactly heated within these walls, but the sweater on his back did the trick for the time being. However, he also knew that children cooled down faster than adults, so it was quite possible that he was really struggling to warm up.

“Okay, he sighed, defeated. Come with me.”

“Where are we going?" Jack asked right away, looking much less unhappy.

“In my bedroom.”

“Is it hotter?”

“No, but you'll be less cold if you sleep with me.”

“Okay.”

The kid flung himself into his arms, a smile up to his ears, and Aaron got up to take him to his own bed. As soon as his little feet were on the quilt, the boy made a strategic withdrawal underneath it and pulled as much fabric as possible back to him. His father watched the strange caterpillar form its synthetic cocoon with unabashed amusement but remained standing by the bed base. Then Jack's disheveled head popped up from the soft mass and saw Hotch's fleeing movement.

“Where are you going?”

“I've got to start the dishwasher, prepare the breakfast table, your schoolbag and a couple of other things," he said as he read the time on the clock radio.

It wasn't even half-past ten yet, so he was a long way from being finished for the evening. In addition to the necessary tasks, he hoped to be able to take advantage of his son's absence around him to manage chores that required a bit of calm.

“Okay, agreed the toddler, very serious. But come back soon.”

“I’m in a hurry.”

He turned his back on him and left the room just after, leaving the door slightly ajar to let in a trickle of light. Despite being seven years old, Jack still needed his nightlight to fall asleep, and would wake up immediately if you had the misfortune to turn it off. Hotch heard some parents boasting that their offspring, sometimes younger, were already sleeping in the dark, "like grown-ups"; but he wasn't the least bit concerned. He knew plenty of adults who wouldn't fall asleep without a light source in their room, and a number of people he'd put behind bars had been forcibly locked in the dark. A punishment that had bruised the shaky psyches of these fragile children. It was out of the question for him to deprive his son of this source of comfort, even if he preferred to sleep in the dark. And he wouldn't push him to follow so-called societal norms that still too often did more harm than good. As long as it didn't endanger his health, he did everything in his power not to traumatize him any more than he already had been through his own fault.

                Back in the living room, he did as he said he would, trying to make as little noise as possible, then took a few moments to himself before brushing his teeth and putting on a T-shirt and pajama pants. A shiver ran down his spine. Without the thick mesh, the cold of the place was more biting. He left the bathroom, checked that all the doors and windows were closed and that the lights were off, then returned to the darkness of the bedroom. A comforter ball stood motionless in the middle of the mattress. The traffic on the nearby road made it impossible for him to hear Jack's breathing and determine whether or not he was already asleep. Reassembling the box spring on his side, he lifted the still-accessible eiderdown and slid underneath. The creature next to him unfurled at once and little hands pounced on his shirt. Clinging to his arm and torso, Jack shivered.

“You’re still cold?”

“Yes.”

“You'll be fine in a few minutes, reassured his father, placing a kiss on his wild hair. Now close your eyes and try to sleep.”

“Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, champ.”

As expected, the child drifted off to sleep less than a quarter of an hour later, gradually loosening his grip on his top. Pacified by his descendant's slow breathing, Hotch fell asleep soon afterwards. Silence fell on the icy apartment. After two hours, the silence was broken by Jack's high-pitched voice.

“Dad?”

Aaron's eyelids opened almost on the spot, and his attention promptly focused on the little being beside him. However, he soon realized that the boy's breathing was still that of a drowsy person, and the glow of the nightlight – which he had brought from the next room – allowed him to see that his eyes were closed. He smiled. He hadn't had much opportunity to welcome his son into his home after his separation from his mother, but the latter – once they'd mended their differences – had confirmed that their creation was the talkative type, even if unconscious. And since taking care of it himself, he had witnessed more than once the curious but harmless phenomenon of nocturnal logorrhea.

“Yes, Jack," he answered without raising his voice too much.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too.”

“Can ‘ have a cookie?”

The FBI agent held back a burst of laughter that could have snapped his son out of his trance and took a few breaths to quell his hilarity. It wasn't the first time he'd had a conversation of this kind with Jack, but their dialogues had always taken an unexpected turn. Tonight was no exception to the rule. Recovering from his emotions, Aaron hilariously replied:

“Sure. Here.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

The child closed his mouth to chew his imaginary cake and quietly went on with his night, as if nothing had happened. Hotch, amused, shook his head, and soon went back to sleep.

                A few days later, the team was called to the other side of the country for a new investigation. In the jet, the agents proceeded as usual, discussing the details of the case in hand and the deployment of each of them once on site. But this time, a smile split Aaron’s usually impassive and serious mask as he completed the casting.

“What are you smiling at? This case isn't particularly amusing,” pointed out a puzzled Morgan.

“It isn't, indeed, he confirmed, before confessing; I was just thinking about something.”

“Something funny, obviously, stressed JJ, curious. May we know what it is?”

“It’s… it’s a thing Jack did.”

“Is he all right?” immediately worried Garcia, who had stayed on the line to ask Spencer something.

“Yes, yes, he reassured her on the spot. It's just that, currently, the apartment's boiler is on the blink.”

Unwilling to open up normally about his private life, Hotch nonetheless threw himself into it, because the cause of his temporary elation was, in truth, the people sitting around him.

“Is that supposed to be funny?” Blake raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Of course not. It's freezing cold in the apartment, but I can't find a technician available, he complained wearily. The first slot I've been offered is in March. It's almost as if all the boilers in Virginia broke down at the same time.”

“Remind us when this is supposed to be fun,” the former liaison agent turned profiler asked, a mocking eyebrow raised in his direction.

“I’ll be there. Jack is too cold in his room, so he sleeps in mine while we wait.”

“Is it warmer there?” said Reid, wide-eyed.

“No. But he's apparently too small to generate enough heat to keep himself warm in bed. Which is paradoxical because it's a real hot water bottle.”

“You must have restless nights," laughed the blonde in a cross-legged dress.

Three years earlier, just after the tragedy, Jack had spent more than one night sleeping in his father's bed, and the latter had had to deal with the little boy's boundless energy in his sleep. Although barely a third of his size, the kid took up a considerable amount of space under and on the comforter, alternating every conceivable position without ever worrying about the presence of his sire beside him. Aaron soon stopped counting the number of times he had been savagely dragged from his dreams by a slap, an uppercut or a kick from his little roommate.

“Well, he wiggles less than he did a few years ago, he noted with some relief, but he still talks in his sleep. And here’s where it gets fun.”

Early on, he and Haley had noticed that Jack made sounds in his sleep. What sounded like gurgles at first became more and more intelligible as the boy learned to articulate words.

“They say people who talk in their sleep can't lie," announced Spencer.

“It’s true, said his superior with a smirk. Which makes for interesting conversations.”

Hotch had remarked that these unconscious gibberish were neither systematic nor very sensed when he let the boy rant on his own, but the situation changed completely when someone came into communication with him at that moment. The child was then curiously able to respond to solicitations in a rather clear manner.

“Like what?” wanted to know the former police officer, intrigued.

“The first night, he started saying that he was loving me.”

“It’s cute!”

“Wait for it, the giant tempered. I tell him I love him too, and he follows up by asking me for a cookie.”

“It wasn't interested at all,” JJ realized while the others laughed.

“Not at all.”

“What did you do?” inquired the youngest of the group, very attentive.

“I said, "Sure, here." He thanked me and went on with his night.”

A good part of the group burst out laughing as they imagined the scene. Others simply smiled.

“You pretended to give him a cookie?" said Derek, a hint of reproach in his voice.

“Obviously, he had one in his dream.”

“It's cute and, at the same time, a bit devious.”

Penelope had a special affection for her supervisor’s son – the BAU’s first-born – and the latter had to curb her ardor regularly to prevent her from literally drowning Jack in gifts. In fact, he understood that she was less appreciative than the others of the trick he had played on his offspring.

“And what else does he say?" continued Alex with her usual serenity.

“As Reid pointed out, people who talk in their sleep can't lie. So, out of curiosity, I asked him for his opinion on each of you.”

“You did that?”

“Don't worry, Morgan, he said you were a cool big brother with great muscles and that when he grew up, he wanted the same arms as you.”

This time, the hilarity was general.

“The arms still need a bit of work.”

“A little bit, yes, smiled Derek, who regularly maintained his musculature. But I’m fine with that.”

“Me? Me?” leapt the analyst from behind her webcam.

“Then he said, "I love Penelope so much! She's so funny, she's so the best and the superhero of the BAU."”

“Oooooh! Is it possible to have this engraved on a plaque that I can hang on my door?”

Her colleagues laughed heartily, and Hotch imagined how Strauss, his superior, would look if he agreed to her request. Already criticizing him for letting the young woman flood her office with toys and photographs, each less professional than the last, he couldn't imagine what she'd say if she came across a sign engraved with this quote. In the back of his mind, however, he noted that it might serve as a gift idea for her, perhaps in the form of a T-shirt.

“In case we haven't already told you, your son is an angel, sir. And I love him so much too.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“What about me? What did he say about me?" said Reid impatiently.

Despite his lack of social skills and aversion to physical contact, the doctor of criminology and other fields got on quite well with children. Surely helped by his still childish mind on many subjects, he had no difficulty talking to them and they naturally trusted him. Jack was no exception. In his own way.

“Spencer, he looks like a giant noodle, but with brain like no other!”

Morgan, Garcia and JJ immediately chuckled, while Blake and Rossi smiled in unison. Aaron tried to hide his when he saw the annoyed look on Reid’s face.

“A noodle?” he repeated, obviously disappointed.

“With a brain like no other," Dave reminded him, not quite able to regain his composure.

“I didn’t say it was always grandiloquent. Or positive.”

He kept to himself the fact that he found the description rather realistic. The young agent was taller than he was, which wasn't noticeable at first glance, since he was usually stooped or lanky, his arms and legs undulating around his scrawny torso. That was for the noodle side. For the rest, those five doctorates and his eidetic memory spoke for themselves.

“Did he say anything about me?" pursued Alex, sitting on the bench next to the square.

Blake had recently joined the BAU, replacing Emily Prentiss, who had left to join Interpol's London branch. The newcomer taught forensic linguistics, but her instinct and natural clairvoyance made her an excellent profiler. Gentle and caring, she quickly took the youngest member of the unit under her wing, and the two got on wonderfully well. An understanding that was echoed by the other members of the team, who rapidly made room for her among them. Hotch, who was very close to her own age, liked her very much and had already spoken to Jack about her, showing him shots of her with the rest of the group.

“He doesn't know you very well, but he said you had a good air. And that you had a pixie side.”

“Pixie?”

“In his vocabulary, that means "mischievous".”

“Perceptive," she said with a wry smile.

“Not that much, I hope.”

The teacher added nothing more, contenting herself with a mysterious pout that did nothing to reassure her supervisor. Apart from Rossi, who was older than him, all the other agents under his command were between ten and twenty years younger than him, and some days their mental age seemed to decrease so much that he felt he was running a day-care center. By hiring someone from his own generation, he had hoped that this new recruit would give him a chance to catch his breath. But that might not be the case.

“What did he say about Dave?”

“Ah, Uncle Dave, Aaron sighed, repeating the nickname Jack always attributed to his mentor. He said, and I quote, "I'd like him to come every day and cook, because with you it's no good."”

This time, eyes widened and mouths dropped open in amazement at the little boy's reflection. Hotch guessed the giggles that threatened to cross some people's lips.

“I admit, it's a double-edged sword, he confessed, remembering that he'd had the same reaction that evening. And he’s not completely wrong, to be honest.”

Indeed, the agency director may have been good at many things, very useful for his work, but he had the peculiar gift of being unable to make anything remotely edible when he tried to cook. It wasn't for want of spending hours listening to his mother explain how to make this or that preparation, but nothing helped. Regularly, he tried his luck again, as soon as something clicked during the night, but to no avail. Jack was clearly doing better than his seven-year-old self.

“I'll make you some boxes," said the novelist pityingly.

“Thank you.”

“And JJ?" went on Derek, who had just remembered that one of the team hadn't yet gone through the toddler's sieve.

“I fear the worst.”

“No, it’s okay, announced Aaron. He said you'd make a great model for Kung Fu Barbie.”

Caught off-guard, everyone hesitated for a moment before laughter erupted from all sides. Evidently, the father had told his son that the slender blonde trained regularly in the martial arts and had no trouble knocking down men of her stature, if not more.

“Oh, my God…” JJ hiccupped, crushing a tear in the corner of her eye.

“If I find one in a shop, I’ll buy it for you.”

“I can’t wait.”

The hilarity began again, then gradually subsided as everyone caught their breath.

“Does he remember anything about the next day?” Blake questioned, concerned.

“Absolutely not. I, on the other hand, remember, he said, before adding. Yesterday, he pointed out that I was no good at DIY, but that he loved me all the same.”

“Honor is safe," joked Rossi as the giggles resumed.

“You know what?”

“What?” answered Morgan.

“I wish all briefings were like this. You have to admit, it's a lot nicer.”

Everyone abounded or nodded in agreement, and the flight continued unhurriedly, the cabin for once bathed in a light, festive atmosphere.

___

An happy new year to all of you! /o/

Thanks a lot for the attention you give to my works. Don't hesitate to leave a comment, I'll be more than pleased to answer it.

[elthoughtzos]

The Eyes of Fate || Sooga (LoZ) x OC

Summary:

“You can go your whole life not believing in fate or destiny, and then one day, you find somebody so right for you, at such a right time and place, you won’t know what to call it.”

— Mark Anthony.

Sooga looks behind him one last time for a very long time. He pauses — the warrior felt conflicted. “It’s not supposed to be so difficult. I’ve been a ruthless warrior since childhood, but why is it hard to say goodbye to her?”

“Will you wait for me?” Sooga asked. The question itself felt like a promise that she would be seeing him again. She smiled at him despite her eyes tearing up, and ran into his arms. “Of course, I will.” Anya’s words held nothing but the truth as they pulled back to look at each other despite him having his mask on. “I’ll wait for you in this and any other lifetime we may have.” She added.

Sooga pulled his mask up only to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. For the young woman managed to make her way into his heart.

“Come home to me, please.” She urged. “I will.” Sooga replied.

Notes:

Holy shit, this is my first fanfic ever. 😅 be nice, please.

Also none of the characters in the Legend of Zelda are mine except for my original character(s) of course. This fanfiction will contain violence, foul language and mayyyyyybe smut. If I don’t chicken out to write it. So if you’re a minor, please don’t proceed any further.

Sooooooo I’ve been playing Zelda: Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity and might’ve joined the Sooga simp club in the process of getting through the game. Also I can’t believe there’s hardly any stories about him. 😭 it should be a crime. Anyways, I decided to make a fanfic about the man himself, Sooga; following the events of Age of Calamity but with my own twist of course. So without a further ado, here’s The Eyes of Fate.

————————

Being Princess Zelda’s handmaiden had its perks such as becoming best friends with her royal highness and learning new skills and seeing the many wonders Hyrule had to offer. Anya would even give her own life to protect the princess and she had no problem with it. In fact, she wouldn’t change being Zelda’s handmaiden for anything else in the world.

“My job will be the only thing I’ll ever love.” She joked. “I can’t wait to see you when you’re in love.” Zelda bantered. She playfully rolled her eyes and smiled widely at the princess.

————————

Anya gazes at the night sky through her window at the Hyrule Castle as she sets her book down and sighed. “Whatever is the matter?” Zelda inquired as Anya slightly jumped at the princess’s voice despite her talking softly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Zelda apologized and Anya shook her head. “It’s okay.” She remarked. The two of them sat in silence for a moment and the princess glanced at her. “So are you going to tell me what’s the matter?” She probed as Anya just smiled in response.

“I do not wish to burden you with my problems, Princess.” Anya stated and as she turned back to face the window, she could see Zelda’s are you shitting me right now expression through the reflection of the window’s glass. “And I’ve told you a million times to drop the formalities — you’re like family. Like my sister.”

She turned to face Zelda, with her undivided attention and began, “I’m just a bit concerned about what the future holds.” Anya admitted. “I know we all have our duty to fulfill. Mine is like Link’s — to protect you from harm.” As a handmaiden, it was required not only that she had the knowledge to mend the princess’s clothing if needed, but also combat skills. By the King’s orders. So he made sure that Anya would be a formidable warrior. Medical knowledge was also amongst the skills she possessed.

“Everything will be okay.” Zelda reassured her as she faintly smiled. “Shouldn’t I be the one listening to your worries and comforting you right after?” Anya asked, as she genuinely grinned this time.

“Just because you’re my handmaiden doesn’t mean that you carry all your worries on your shoulders.” Zelda stated matter of factly and embraced her.

“Oh!” Anya was slightly surprised as she hugged her friend back. “Thank you, Zelda.” She whispered and the princess nodded. “See? That’s better. The dropping of the formalities.” Zelda smiled back at her dearest friend and headed towards the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, get some rest. And that’s an order from the princess.” Zelda remarked. “Yes, ma’am, good night princess.” Anya called out. “Good night.”

——————————

That night, the moment Anya’s head hit the pillow, she slept so soundly. She kept the window of her bedroom slightly open to feel the warm summer breeze, the moonlight shining so beautifully and the crickets chirped softly lulling her to sleep so fitfully.

Who would’ve ever known that’d be the last peaceful night in Hyrule before the threat of the Calamity awakening soon prompting everyone in Hyrule to be on edge.

Around dawn, a monster sighting just outside the castle attempting to break in is what had everyone in the kingdom putting their armors on and gathering their weapons. Anya braided her hair and grabbed her sword as she rushed outside. Captain Hoz, Link and the other knights were already training with each other due to the report that more monsters had been spotted.

“This is worse than I thought…” King Rhoam commented to himself as he watched through a balcony. The King knew better than to have his people worrying and scaring them off so he’d usually have a stoic expression despite his own worries. Especially for his daughter, who had yet to awaken her sealing powers.

Anya was practicing sparring with Link as hordes of monsters started rushing towards the castle. Link glanced over and she silently nodded as Link, Anya and the other knights started taking down the monsters just outside of the castle. “Look out!!” Captain Hoz called out as a Moblin’s spear nearly hit Link. The young knight skillfully dodged the blow at the last second and took down the monster with ease. “That was a close one.” Hoz stated. “Thank you.” Link replied as he noticed something strange laying near him. He approached the strange relic and soon realized it was a small guardian in a dormant state. “What’s that?” Anya asked, looking down at the small thing on the floor.

“It’s a guardian but I doubt it still works. It’s probably been lying here for who knows how long.” Link replied. As he carefully examined the small guardian, Impa rushed into the Hyrule field with the sheikah slate on her hands and bokoblins chasing after her. “You! Help!” Impa called out to them. Link rushed to her aid as she toppled on the floor and the sheikah slate flew out of her hand. Anya rushed to try and catch the slate but Link’s quick reflexes caught it on time; just as the small guardian awoke and the ground began to violently shake.

“What the—…” Anya started.

“Why is this happening?” Impa questioned while the bokoblins rushed towards them. Link was ready to strike one of the small monsters down as a tower emerged from the ground and they lost sight of the monsters.

“It’s… a tower?” Impa queried.

For a moment the three of them forgot about the small guardian until it beeped and they turned to face it.

“My curiosity is more focused on this little guy.” Anya stated. “Hmmm… an inexplicable guardian. And a mysterious tower.” Impa commented.

“I hate to say it but we have little hope of figuring this one out on our own.” Anya added.

“That's true.” Impa agreed. “Hey! What are you—?!” She shrieked as Impa chased after the little guardian as the little guy rushed off. Anya and Link glanced at each other and then took after Impa as well. The three of them went after the guardian but lost sight of it when they came across the King, where he was addressing the knights and commended them for taking down the monsters.

“Each of you has served your kingdom admirably.” King Rhoam announced.

The three of them walked in silence and stopped at the first gatehouse where Zelda came from. She was wearing a beautiful navy blue dress with gold accents and white ruffles along with a small tiara. Link stared until Anya nudged him and threw him a knowing smirk and the young knight slightly blushed.

Ah young love. Anya thought.

“I heard about the monsters that attempted to make their way into the castle. I’m so glad to see you’re all okay.” Zelda verbalized.

“The training has really paid off to keep you safe, your highness.” Anya responded.

Despite their discussion last night about dropping the formalities when addressing the princess, Anya couldn’t bring herself to do so in front of others. She had to set an example. And the princess seemed to notice.

“You made it! I’m glad you made it safe, Impa.” Zelda added.

Link kneeled before her as Impa nodded.

“Yes. Though I couldn’t have done it without them since I was being chased by bokoblins, so thank you.” Impa acknowledged. “And I’ve received the Sheikah slate from Purah.”

Anya, Link and Impa had forgotten about their new little friend and at that moment, the little guardian rushed towards the princess but Link managed to grab it just in time and held it up in the air whilst it beeped repeatedly.

“Hmm? What is that?” Zelda asked curiously.

“Your highness!” Impa addressed the princess and showed her the Sheikah slate’s screen activating simultaneously with the small guardian.

“Do you think the little guy also has something to do with the strange tower that emerged from the ground?” Aryll inquired.

“Perhaps, we’re going to have to study about it.” Impa answered.

Notes:

I’ve finally brought my fanfic here from AO3. Also I should mention that my character is 21 years old in the first few chapters.

And lastly the chapters will eventually get longer. My impatient self can’t wait for Sooga and Anya to come across each other for the first time lol.

———

Reblogs/comments are greatly appreciated.

[littlemisssquiggles]

I'm not sure if you heard the news yet but rooster teeth is getting shut down by Warner Bros and Warner Bros is trying to sell RWBY off to another company at the moment

I hope that the people working at rooster teeth are able to get jobs or have jobs that they can help tie them over till they find new work for a while

And maybe if we're lucky when it comes to RWBY some company will maybe pick them up this year and will possibly get volume 10 by the end of next year or the year after that we'll just have to wait and see I'm not sure if they're still doing RWBY beyond that they were planning to do to cover some stuff that was happening with long and I but I hope the future for this franchise gets better and that this isn't the end

Hi there anon-chan. Yes, I have heard the news about RT shutting down. Heard it as soon as it came out yesterday. I just don’t have much to comment on the matter since I’m still pretty much processing it.

I mean, I’ve been hearing certain-certain Youtubers making bold statements about the end of RT for quite some time now; given all of its recent scandals. But even then, I still sorta wished to hold out on the belief that what they were saying wasn’t entirely true.

I mean, I know RT has definitely been under fire for a while but that was mainly due to the actions of some of the folks that were working in the company. And even then, I was of the opinion, that all the problematic people bringing the company down would just be removed, leaving RT itself to basically rebuild its reputation and get back in the good spirits of both its fans and potential investors; y’know what I mean?

Bottomline, I didn’t want to believe the possibility of RT shutting down since I thought they would’ve been able to make  a comeback somehow. At least when it comes to RWBY.

I’ll be frank with you m’fam. Outside of RWBY (and maybe Red Vs. Blue and Camp Camp; even though I haven’t caught up on those series since their earlier seasons), I have no other personal investment in RT.

I mainly followed RT for RWBY and the members of the CRWBY who worked on it. And even now, in light of the news of its upcoming shut down, I’m more concerned for what the future of RWBY will be beyond RT.

In respect to the CRWBY, I’m genuinely not that worried for them finding work since they’re all very talented creatives who are very, very good in their craft. So I definitely have high hopes for them scoring new work after RT. No doubts about that.

I have heard about WB trying to sell RWBY though; and this is where my main concern lies. I am worried about who RWBY will be sold to next or whether anyone will pick up the IP at all. I know some FNDM members like to hype up RWBY as this big deal series. However, the reality is, outside of the FNDM, RWBY honestly isn’t as well-known as some folks may think. Especially when you consider the fact that all the negatives of RWBY are talked about just as much; maybe even more so than the positives of it.

In the realm of potential buyers for RWBY, I don’t have high hopes for this because, isn’t this not what happened to  GenLock? Who do we blame for the fall of that IP? RT or WB? Didn’t they not “sell” GenLock over to HBO and they ended up butchering the hell out of its second season?

Either way, I don’t want the same to happen to RWBY. It’s already butchered enough by the way RT and its showrunners have been handling it since V3.

My one saving grace is a tweet from Dillon Goo. Apparently, he’s an animator who formerly worked on RWBY back in the days of Monty. Yesterday on Twitter, he expressed interest in purchasing the rights to RWBY to continue the series along with his team.

I don’t know how serious he is about this but I have seen some of his work and it’s actually quite good. I would rather RWBY go to the hands of someone who worked on the show and seems  genuinely passionate about continuing the series and its story as opposed to it going to some mega-money corporate conglomerate who are only interested in making money off the franchise and don’t really give a rat’s ass about its story or appealing to its fanbase.

As a long time fan of RWBY, all I want is for the series to be given to someone who actually gives a shit about RWBY.

Not just as a franchise name but as a story with characters and a world they genuinely enjoyed and wished to continue and expand upon out of a genuine love for it.  

Whether that’s continuing from where the original CRWBY Writers left off or rebooting the story from the ground up, I just want RWBY to be handled by creatives who care about it and want to tell a good story with it.

No senseless pandering that serve nothing for the story or appeasing the “woke crowd” or whatever!

Just telling a genuinely GOOD and CONSISTENT story with these characters and the world they live in.

I rather RWBY be handed over to a fan whose got the money, time and most importantly, the drive to keep the story going rather than another who just wants to milk it for its “brand”.

Ironically, this is what RT has sadly been doing with RWBY for the past couple of years. Since the dawn of its existence, RWBY has spawned books, comics, manga, videogames (console as well as mobile), its own movie (albeit it’s a crossover) and even its own Japanese anime adapation. All these different novelties that were supposed to help expand the world of Remnant and look how far it got it?

Pretty much nowhere because we got all of this expanded material for RWBY and we’re still nowhere close to finishing the main core story from the OG 3D animated series.

Speaking of, regarding the fate of RWBY Beyond, I’m not sure myself anon-chan. I was of the naive notion that since RWBY returning to RT and the debut of RWBY Beyond were announced prior to the news of RT’s shutdown that the company would still move forward with this move and it would mark the official send off for not only RWBY but the company that made it as well. That’s what I was hoping for and what I’m still hoping for since I don’t recall their being an official date for RT’s shut down.

We know the company is dead, we just don’t know the date of the funeral, basically. So until that time comes, I’m gonna innocently hope we still get to see RWBY Beyond before RT shuts down.

I can live with RT shutting down and even RWBY ending if RWBY Beyond is treated as the official final chapter to the story. But that’s just me.

~LMS (2024)

[calicodreamer]

Calico Reviews: Sun and Moon Show eps. 1-3

Welcome back to Calico rants about the Sun and Moon show to her tumblr page, because its to cringe to explain to people in real life.

We’re going to try to do at least three episodes a week, and then write down my notes so I can ramble about this to my Tumblr, become like, an actual content creator for the things that I like.

Does it count as spoilers for the show if its episodes 1-3? regardless, spoilers below

9:21 Montgomery Gator is the WORST Daycare ATTENDANT in VRCHAT

They have a Funny little intro right now! It's Cringe, and I would like them to not.

 I am looking forward to when they don’t. .

I had previously watched this episode during my trying to get all those juicy little lore bits by being picky and choosey with what I wanted to consume, and unluckily for me, there isn't a complete season one compilation for me to pick through

Moon, when we the audience are not looking through his perspective, hangs out in Vtuber form in the corner. We don’t see any of Sun's Vtuber model right now, but he does have one, so there's that.

Sun - upon the start of the video, is cleaning the day-care, Moon comes down to check on him. Sun is an upbeat happy guy, who is anxiously cleaning the day-care - this seems to be his only personality trait. Moon is snappy, uptight, and grumpy but overall quiet outside of when he is yelling, or being angry at Sun.

Sun has hired Monty the gator (Yes he’s here, no I don’t know why), for 1000$ dollars a second to look after the daycare for him for whatever reason. Why would they have this much money to afford to give it to Monty the gator?? Don’t ask me, they just do I guess. Moon hates Monty the Gator - this is a reasonable opinion of Monty the gator.

Moon has control of the bank account they have I guess.

Sun has to talk to Roxanne for whatever reason (Yes, Yes I do mean Roxanne wolf, No I don’t know why she’s here)

Monty sucks at his job - hence the title of the video. Monty is also an idiot, and happy music plays when he comes on screen, he also briefly thinks that Sun is a statue- this feels like Flanderization, even though this is an au, I hate that character choice, I wish they would not. 

Sun seems to be slightly intense about cleaning, he has a whole organization schedule. Moon can only be grumpy, I assume this is because Sun didn’t talk to him about anything he was doing that day, but eeeeeeeeeeeeeh - Moon stop being a dick to your brother.

There’s implied to be kids running around while everything happens, which is also concerning.

Monty leaves because Moon hates him for whatever reason, I dunno why. He was sent to get snacks and then doesn’t show up for the rest of the episode. I’m also glad Monty is gone, Fuck I hate this character.

Sun shows up, upset that Monty has messed everything up, Moon is largely apathetic to the whole situation. 

9:06 Sun and Moon MOVE to SPACE in VRCHAT

We are still intro-ing, I would still like us to not be. I have to forcibly remind myself that this channel is meant for kids every time the intro comes on, and that If I watch like five episodes a day I can get through this in 2 months.

I am not going to watch five episodes a day

They (The people) told me to watch this episode, You really don’t have to. Nothing of major importance here, but there is funny nonsense happening. 

Moon is starting a ponzi scheme I guess, or atleast is implied to have business deals with “Someone” or people? Idk between this and insisting how “Animatronic” they are I’m beginning to loose it.

Monty the gator is also here (For SOME reason), and he has a space station apartment building that he is using to actively kill people to get more money, they only reason Moon cares about it is because Sun spent 50,000,000 dollars on an apartment for Moon to live in, because he thinks Moon hates him (Poor baby), and wanted Moon to be able to have his own space.

Moon has to walk Sun through what sarcasm is a couple times. Sun you sweet precious baby. And remind him that No he doesn’t actually hate him, and would prefer to live with Sun

Moon goes to Monty to get the Money back

Monty doesn’t wanna give the money back

Moon threatens to expose him

Monty gives the money back.

Apparently Sun spent even more money on a tv sold to him by Monty

Oh boy howdy, I hope this character trait of Sun being gullible isn’t around long.

Other notes:

It's Directly stated that they have a bank account, and that Moon has enough money to buy himself a house for whatever reason? Why is he buying himself a house? I don’t know. Where did they get the bank account from? I don’t know. WHY DO THEY HAVE-

There's also apparently enough money on this account to afford a funky little space station apartment, and a house.

Moon invent things, why? Idk personality traits.

But they do have a good dynamic going or whatever, and the voice acting for Moon is pretty good

17:51 Sun and Moon Play AMONG US in VRCHAT

THERE IS NO INTRO LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sun and Moon are playing among us, for some reason. With Some of the Funtime animatronics, Glamrock Chica, and Freddy - just regular old Freddy - he is here

Sun and Moon are canonically, Very Big boys, and have to crawl around the ship

This is just a Funny little episode, Nothing important lore wise happens here, but you do get more of Sun and Moons Dynamic. 

Sun walks around being anxious the entire time, and everything is too short for him to move around properly. Which is a shame that no ones drawn this scene yet because I think that would be hilarious - them just knuckle walking on the ground because they’re both too tall. 

“OMG YOU GUYS ARE CREEPILY WALKING EVERYWHERE!?!?”

“Bro, I am literally just trying to get around.”

Funtime Freddy has a stupid voice

also Funtime foxy what the fuck is up with your voice, I am literally begging you both not to show up again so I don’t have to hear you. I hate it.

Moon is so proud of himself for just doing anything - he could burn coffee and I'd still believe he was proud of himself

Moon has such a smug little voice and I’m 80% sure its all the deadpan tone he has when he’s not yelling. When he’s not being an edgy bastard he’s such a little goober. The dynamic between the two is very interesting, and I am HERE for it. 

Notable: Moon is Willing to Kill Sun, and kill for Sun without a second thought, Sun is willing to lie for his brother. Even to his own detriment. Sun is afraid of Moon to some degree in the episode? I'm not sure how much of a joke this is.

I am most certainly reading into it

Moon stop being an edgy goober for like, five seconds, I swear. The deadpan voice even makes him even better. I love him

Sun stop being Anxious challenge “level impossible”

This episode is just silly little filler, Not much of note happens.

Everyone is rabid, except for Sun who is a very good boy. I cannot wait to see him change that

Final thoughts:

So Overall, In the first three episodes. My favourite character is definitely Moon, mostly because I like his voice better. Sun and Moon definitely have some issues in their relationship, especially since Moon is grumpy, and Sun is constantly going out of his way to try and appease him most of the time.

Anyhow, hopefully this makes my watching of the series easier.

Previous post?:

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 19- Part 14

Also, apparently Cal is special enough to get his own battle theme? It sounds like a remix of Marnie’s theme- and this theme is an absolute banger, but I’m still shaken by being thrust into another major battle!

Okay, okay, calm down- he can’t be that much higher-leveled than Victoria and Fern’s teams. Riptide’s not exactly equipped to deal with the Torkoal when the sun’s out like this, though, so let’s bring in the newly-evolved Crater instead.

…Huh. So, Hidden Power is a move that gets boosted by this Field, and Torkoal’s Hidden Power is Electric-type. Okay. I think at this point, the information overload has just rendered me numb.

Let’s see- Earth Power is sure to do a lot, right?

Aha!? Oh, she just one-shotted it! It didn’t even get a chance to launch a second attack! Wait- can I just do that again on Magmortar?

Lv. 34, huh? Higher-leveled than I was expecting, but Earth Power is sure to go a lot, still!

HAH! The Quick Claw strikes again!

Oh, Magmortar actually survived- and Fire Punch did pretty decent damage despite Crater being resistant to Fire moves. Well, regardless, another Earth Power should finish the job.

So Cal’s a monotype Fire Trainer? Guess that makes sense, what with the sunlight and all. But while I feel like Crater can just keep sweeping his team with Earth Power, I don’t want to do that because of the level cap. Now, if it was a hard level cap I wouldn’t be so concerned and I would keep using her, but that’s not how things work, so I still have to keep an eye on exp. points.

So…let’s use Glare for Houndoom, here.

We’ll start with Glare™, as usual, before launching into an Acid Spray assault.

Wait…Inferno? I barely recognize that move, I don’t see it used that often, but isn’t that a really strong Fire move? Like, really-

…Ah. Well, so much for that plan, uh…okay, let’s try Riptide. He can’t do much damage to this thing, but he can resist Fire moves just fine!

Let’s start with Scary Face, give him some breathing-

Uuuuh?? Ooh, Inferno is still doing a whole lot- and Riptide’s burned, now!? He was already not gonna be doing a lot of damage, you didn’t have to Burn him on top of that!

You know what, I know this Marnie remix slaps like no other, but you know where my mind is actually going right now, given the current situation? Rainbow Road in minor key. Seems fitting for how absolutely cursed this encounter is…

This is a disaster- why does it just keep spamming Inferno!? USE A DIFFERENT MOVE, YOU HACK! Whose idea was it to let the dog have a move like that? I don’t even remember what its base power is, I just remember it’s a strong move!

(Future edit: So I looked it up after this session, and Inferno has a base power of 100, about what I thought it was. However, I also found that the move’s accuracy is 50%- it’s a coin-flip move. And this Houndoom landed that coin-flip three times. In a row. So either a.) the Houndoom has an accuracy-boosting item, b.) this Rainbow Road terrain does something to boost Inferno’s accuracy, or c.) all my luck was used up with Crater’s Quick Claw.)

There’s no way Riptide can win this, and once he’s down- well, Prong and Decibel definitely won’t be able to beat it, and Crater might be able to survive with some healing and Amnesia, but I have no idea what the rest of Cal’s team looks like! He could have a Ground-type (like, maybe a Camerupt of his own), and then what? Not to mention the risk of Crater getting too much exp. and going over the level cap a result...

Sooo, since we’re really not equipped to deal with a team like this…I don’t think there’s much of a choice but to reset. Man- I was feeling so good after that clutch victory against Fern, and then to get ambushed by Cal like that? I just wanted to check out the Gym for a minute or two and then end the chapter! That was it!

I’m not as incensed by Cal and his attitude like I was in the last chapter (I have recovered from my post-character death bloodlust), so I don’t hate him for those reasons- instead, I’m now upset with him for entirely different reasons! I WON’T FORGET ABOUT THIS, CAL!! JUST YOU WAIT!!

So for right now, there will be two objectives for next chapter: build a team to take on Cal, and then maybe build another team to challenge Shelly? Assuming there are no other plot elements to resolve before we battle her? I doubt there will be- the level cap is Lv. 35, and we’re really towing that line by now, so there can’t be much more to this story arc. 

Apologies for the anticlimactic end to this chapter, it’s not really pleasant to end on a lost/reset battle. However, if I must say something in my defense- how was I supposed to know there’d be a Cal jumpscare after two back-to-back battles with my rivals?? But mark my words, I’ll be back and better than ever next time! I will be avenged!!

CURRENT TEAM:

Riptide

Species: Feraligatr

Gender: Male

Level: 33

Ability: Sheer Force*

Item: Quick Claw

Brave nature; Alert to sounds.

Glare

Species: Arbok

Gender: Female

Level: 32

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Protective Pads

Naughty nature; Highly curious.

Prong

Species: Charjabug

Gender: Female

Level: 32

Ability: Battery

Item: None

Rash nature; Loves to eat.

Decibel

Species: Noibat

Gender: Female

Level: 32

Ability: Telepathy*

Item: Focus Sash

Bashful nature; Often lost in thought.

Crater

Species: Camerupt

Gender: Female

Level: 33

Ability: Magma Armor

Item: Quick Claw

Hardy nature; Often scatters things.

Kirin

Species: Girafarig

Gender: Female

Level: 32

Ability: Sap Sipper*

Item: None

Quirky nature; Thoroughly cunning.

CURRENT BOXES:

NUMBER OF RELOADS: 12

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[twilightmalachite]

PORTRAIT - Ah, still delay—thou art so ■■■ 9

Author: Akira

Characters: Akiomi, Arashi, Makoto

Translator: Mika Enstars

"…Akiomi, I feel like you’ve changed since you met them."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Downtown

Akiomi: ……

Arashi: ……

Akiomi: …Hm?

Arashi: …♪

Akiomi: Hyaah!? N, Na-Na-Na-Narukami-kun!?

Don’t surprise me like that! Where did you come from? You always, always do this!

Arashi: It’s funny to surprise you, Akiomi.

Also, your troubled face is sexy…♪

Akiomi: Kids shouldn’t be saying words like “sexy”. Though I guess you hear those words around when you work as a model, huh…

I seriously don’t think it’s a good environment for children to grow up in.

Arashi: What happened? Suddenly, you were gone, and you hadn’t come back for a long time, so I was worried, Akiomi.

Akiomi: I’m the one who should be worried. I keep telling you, children shouldn't be playing around at this hour, so late at night.

Arashi: But I’m not playing… …Are they OK?

Akiomi: Whose “they”?

Arashi: …Akiomi, I feel like you’ve changed since you met them.

Before this, no matter when or where, it was Akiomi and just me.

Location: Department Store's Furniture Area

A couple hours later, after taking Arashi home…

Akiomi: —Yuuki-kun! Sena-kun!

Makoto: ……?

Huh? What’s wrong, Akiomi-oniichan?

Akiomi: What do you mean, “what’s wrong”?! Why are you still here, even after filming ended?

Everyone’s been so worried!

Makoto: ? Sorry…?

Akiomi: Well, I’m glad to see nothing’s happened to you, at least…

But I was really surprised. I was hired for a minor role in the movie, and after my appearance I had to rush to do my other jobs…

Since it was an “extra job” that wasn’t originally planned, my schedule was overwhelmed with work… It was rough.

Makoto: ? Umm, thank you for your hard work…?

Akiomi: Thank you. Well, I’m still young, so physically, I’m perfectly fine.

But after everything, Narukami-kun said something concerning, so I got worried and checked with my agency about it…

That’s when I heard you and Sena-kun went missing.

I’d been the one who took Sena-kun away from the agency earlier, so if something happened to him, I’d be the one responsible.

So after hearing that, I searched everywhere I could in a panic—

If anything had happened to him, I have a feeling his parents would have killed me.

Makoto: …? …? Is everything okay?

Akiomi: It’s not okay. And it’s my fault too for prioritizing my work and taking my eyes off you guys.

If I was going to take on the role of playing the guardian, I should’ve seen it through to the end. I apologize, I had put myself first—

But, I left Sena-kun to be looked after by your agency that should’ve been on-site.

Sena-kun had originally belonged to the same agency as you, so I thought they’d know him.

So I thought I could’ve done my jobs without having to worry—

Makoto: Because Onii-chan doesn’t “get along” with anyone other than me.

So he got in a fight with someone in the agency, and went away somewhere.

Akiomi: He wen’t away… where? Is he not with you?

Makoto: Onii-chan said he was gonna go explore.

Akiomi: Explore? I don’t know what you mean by that… Where is Sena-kun, right now? Do you know, Yuuki-kun?

Makoto: He should be over there. I’m tired, so I’m resting over here.

Akiomi: Hmm… Don’t move for the time being, okay? I’ll go and get Sena-kun, then we’ll all go home together.

Makoto: Okay. Ehehe~, take care! ♪

Makoto: …Please don’t get too angry at Onii-chan, okay?

Akiomi: No can do. I’m so angry I could die. My patience has its limits too, you know, and this time I’m past it.

Makoto: Please go easy on him. …Hm?

Akiomi: ? What’s wrong, Yuuki-kun?

Makoto: Umm. Thought I saw someone over there…

Akiomi: Wha, don’t say scary things like that! This isn’t the season for ghost stories, you know!?

[ ☆ ]

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[atonalginger]

15 lines of dialogue

15 Lines of Dialogue Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

I was tagged by @therealgchu, thank you for the tag!

I have chosen Bella Cherise this time around.

“Got to take risks in this line of work,”

You’re insane, he’s dangerous! Caution screamed. We’re dangerous too, practical reasoned, or did you forget who you are?

God, I hope he bites my ass

“Cute?” Bella scoffed, readying for a fight, “I’m a fucking bombshell.”

“You think my game is good enough to get this captain to risk his stable salary to help the Fleet steal from a galbank exec? You’re damn right I’m flattered.”

Bella came out of the bathroom, pulling the belt of the robe she’d slipped into before doing her makeup and installing her wig, exposing her bare midriff and cleavage, “you said I’d need to work the floor for gossip on Dumbrosky? Easier to get people to open up when they’re distracted, don’t you think, tovarich?”

“and yes. Last time I was in Dodgewood was when I went to pay my…when I shoved my waste-of-oxygen failure of a father into the pig pen. He was working for the wealthiest family in southern Akila, the Whitmoores, handling some under the table business. If I’m spotted around the settlement their people will be on me immediately.”

“while street rats like you were focused on your next ‘big’ score and knocking zoners skulls around I was working hard to secure my place on the Boardwalk working with the actual big players of Neon. While you were shaking down broke bastards for loan sharks and dealers I was tasked with taking down real marks worth killing. Benjamin Bayu only works with people worth talking to, which is why he has me on speed dial and doesn’t know who you are.”

«This job couldn’t wait for me to wake you up and then soothe your concerns over my ability to handle myself in this fucking city. I survived this city and all its dangers long before I met you.»

Don’t you ‘sugar’ me, Caution scrunched up her nose. Shut up, he wasn’t talking to your stuck-up ass, Practical snipped. Enough! Bella thought,

“Didn’t think you the hopeless romantic type, Del,”

“And you took her walking outside,” Bella yelled, “just parading us around so Naeva’s people could paint the bullseye on nice and big!”

“You think because you got her to eat her food a few times and got her to bed on time that you can curb a full blown meltdown? Because I can say with absolute certainty you can’t.” Bella shook her head and walked for the door, “you aren’t going to be able to ‘oh mi Conejita’ her into calm.”

“No, no, no,” Bella stepped back and rubbed her hand up her thigh and right side where Estelle’s shots hit, blood coating her palm. She held out her hand and waved it in Naeva’s face, “don’t you see you stupid bitch, I bleed crimson, same as you.”

“You should see the other lady,”